SUNDAY LATELY: Updating, Reminding, Needing, Wearing, Being

May 10, 2015 - Mel

Today’s Blogger, May I? prompt follows the weekly Sunday Lately theme. This week is Updating, Reminding, Needing, Wearing, Being.

Happy Mother's Day! (1)

Updating:
Updating my workout schedule for the week, with a return to some light running (yay!) and CrossFit.

Reminding:
I don’t know that I particularly wanted the reminder, but after being thoughtfully forgotten this week, I have decided to stop fighting for people who so obviously do not want to be friends. I have too many GREAT friends in my life to expend my love and energy and loyalty to settle for anything less. Maybe we all need that reminder.

Needing:
After my last few nights (and days) of celebration, I am in need of a sobriety break… and a lot of water. Also, need to get back on track with my healthier eating habits after enjoying a few necessary (and wonderful!) cheat days.

Wearing:
Where my jorts-loving 30-somethings at? I swear, I cannot get rid of old jeans without first DIY’ing into jorts.

Being:
Absolutely, completely content. My sense of “being” this past week has been full of happiness. More, please!

Most Important Female Figure in Your Life.

May 9, 2015 - Mel

Today’s prompt for Blogger, May I? has a few different coincidences — first of which being its proximity to Mother’s Day. And with today being the day of my birth, this is going to be a little love letter to my mama.

Yes, I’m a Mother’s Day baby. I was my mom’s first, so it added an additional heavy importance. Like any relationship, ours was complicated. As an adult now — the age she was when she had her SEVENTH child — I totally get it. It took a lot of growth, and sometimes some distance to understand one another.

But I’m incredibly lucky to have had a mother who was human. I know, that might seem like a weird way to describe a mother-daughter relationship, but it was tailored perfectly to my personality. She wasn’t a disciplinarian, and that helped me to cultivate my independence. I wasn’t afraid of making mistakes, which helped me be more driven and adventurous. I could talk to her about nearly anything. And the things I didn’t talk to her about, she already knew. I had to move back once during a traumatic experience in my early 20s; without judgment of my life or lifestyle, she took me back in until I could get back on my feet. At times, when just a kid, I felt like a second mother in the house — something I didn’t appreciate through my turbulent teen and young adult years — but wholly value in how it shaped me to have the capacity to love and care deeply and to be loyal to others (even when I don’t want to). And that sometimes that real unconditional love you NEED can be found in animals. And that sometimes dinner can be a spoonful of peanut butter, dipped in powder sugar, and then rolled in chocolate chips. Or something.

There were a lot of terrible things that happened to me in high school, which took me decades to reconcile. A few years ago, I watched my mother go through an amazing transition of finding herself and true happiness — which by happenstance, was a time when I was doing a lot of soul searching. I found the true importance in forgiveness that has helped me heal — and likely, has helped our relationship heal. I have never seen her happier and more content than at this time in our lives, and that’s something that fills my heart.

We’re different in many ways, which go beyond the count of our children. And the same: we’re both procrastinators and struggle with worry and would save every animal off the street if we could.

And we both hate spiders.

<3 you, mom.

Weekly Therapy: Fröhlichen Geburtstag!

May 8, 2015 - Mel

the week:
It’s my birthday week! I ran a half marathon this week! This week is also payday! It’s also finals week, but… eh. I’m basically already done (and looking forward to a week off). It’s a good freaking week! Everything with exclamations!

And dessert.

weekend:
Waking up early tomorrow for a BIRTHDAY MASSAGE. (And then, yes, I can stop milking this birthday week.) I have a party planned at Howl at the Moon, and I’m super-excited about one opening in downtown Pittsburgh. I am a sucker for dueling piano bars and celebrations! Then my Dad is coming into town; hopefully we can find better tickets to the baseball game on Sunday.

The irony is that it’s Mother’s Day, and I’m hanging out with my dad. Have I mentioned that I’m a Mother’s Day baby?

52 books in 52 weeks:
#14: Breaking the Fifth Wall — my boss handed me this soon after starting my new job, and since it’s related to what I do at work I could read it at my desk in between projects. Quick read, easy to understand concepts about knowing the appropriate marketing tools to reach your art audience. I enjoyed it.

seven things, seven days:
1. Uber came and picked up three huge bags of clothing donations that have been sitting in my basement for nearly three years — they partnered with Goodwill for this donation drive. OMG, this was quite possibly the best thing ever. Please deliver me burritos, kthxbai.
2. Bonus: we had a contractor haul away all the excess paint cans sitting in the basement from this house’s previous owner. You guys, I CAN WALK IN MY BASEMENT.
3. Upon forgetting to bring my charge cord to work AGAIN for my phone, purchased this cool gadget.
4. Went to a breakfast seminar, everything was gluten. #storyofmylife
5. Nerded out to Neil deGrasse Tyson last night (!!!). He talked for over three hours and is a fantastic lecturer. I can have him as my teacher?
6. Early birthday dinner at ELEVEN. Disappointed that I didn’t receive my birthday coupon this year (this has been an annual tradition since moving to Pittsburgh), but my meal and experience, as always, was wonderful.
7. Among the generational tags, I’ve never felt the categories “fit.” Oh, but this one does: The Oregon Trail Generation

A Story Without Words.

May 8, 2015 - Mel

Today’s prompt from Blogger, May I?

A photo posted by Melinda (@melliesmel) on Jul 6, 2013 at 3:15pm PDT

Share a Recipe, aka: I can’t cook, so you get someone else’s.

May 6, 2015 - Mel

Today’s Blogger, May I? prompt is Share a Recipe.

Blogger confession: guys, I really can’t cook. Most days I wonder how I survived being so independent so long. While one of those was cheese, the other was I ate crap, processed foods (and a lot off the value menu at Wendy’s). Thinking about that now makes me cringe.

I can honestly remember specific meals that turned out well enough to serve to other people, and I replicated them regularly: Brussels sprouts with balsamic and slivered almonds was a favorite side; a simple tossed pasta with olive oil, lemon, and peas was another. I always brought cheesy potatoes to holidays. Once I made my friend and I mushroom risotto, after having it in a restaurant and having NO CLUE what I was doing (and my friend, god bless her, for having dinner with me). Once I cut up bing cherries and tossed them in a cream sauce with asparagus — yes, I did that! (It was fucking delicious.) My stuffed peppers were amazing. My Mexican twist on stuffed peppers was even better.

But I only had myself to impress.

Twice I even made a moussaka which is really complicated and basically redeems my cooking skills once a decade. I know if I put my mind to it, I could probably make anything, but it will just take two hours longer than the recipe or anyone else on earth who cooks, and by then I’ve drank an entire bottle of wine and eaten a box of cereal in waiting. And I’m drunk now… so, what?

Cooking sucks, OK?

But Pinterest does not!

And this is where I share all my diet restrictions-friendly recipes with the boyfriend when we plan meals. The end.

But not really the end because you know what really sucks: The few meals that I did know how to cook? I can’t eat anymore because of my diet restrictions. This cooking thing will likely be what running was to me last year — pure seething hated madness — to what it is now — a developed passion THAT I HAD TO TRAIN FOR. I just need to get over my resistance to learn.

Is there mental training for cooking?

A 30-something and the Story Behind Her Blog Name

May 5, 2015 - Mel

Today’s post is The Story Behind My Blog Name, prompted by Blogger, May I?

I’ve been able to call myself a blogger for over a decade. My first blog, dedicated to my single life and dating stories, was what some would call “popular” but for obvious reasons became dull and unexciting to readers when I got serious with my (still) boyfriend. As much as I tried to liven things up over there, I was growing further away from its initial fun and MISS INDEPENDENT purpose. Oh, see yesterday’s post to understand a little of why I pressed DELETE on that blog without remorse. In one word, it was an embarrassment.

In any event, I started this blog (on Tumblr, gross) as a vehicle for promoting a client’s designer jewelry e-commerce site (if you see any super early fashion posts, I’m wearing a lot of the pieces). What has developed from there (once I adopted the site as my own) are perspectives from a 30-something navigating her way through a psychology undergrad program, life and body changes, and the effects on well-being.

I always intended for this to be a place where 30-somethings commiserate about all the things that women don’t tell you about getting older… until you’re actually older. And while I do that a bit from my point of view, I’d really like to see that to fruition in the next couple years from different voices. Naturally, I got sidetracked by schoolwork and my new-found love of running recently, but I’m looking forward to reinvigorating this space to be for all 30-somethings to come together and talk about body changes, lifestyle changes, hormones, pre- or peri-menopause (seriously) and those thick black hairs that start growing out of your chin.

Race Recap: Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend 5K Run

May 4, 2015April 19, 2018 - Mel

I’ll keep this race recap nice and sweet because that’s exactly what this race was.

Doing the 5K was a fun excuse for another medal — plus, doing two races in two days gets finishers the Steel Challenge medal. Writing those words put me in something of a state of disbelief. A year ago, a 5K was a HUGE hardship for me mentally and physically (and for my poor shins) and completely opposite of my fitness from derby. I HATED running. Now it’s just an easy, fun run for the day? That’s just crazy talk.

Prior to the race, Steff of Run Steff Run arranged for a running bloggers meet-up.

I was excited to meet up with a friend who was running her first 5K and meet other bloggers who I have been virtually following along AND I’ve got some awesome friends pictured in there also running their first half or FULL marathons.

It was also there that I found my running mate for the day: Jennifer from Running on Lentils. This wasn’t a PR race for either of us (I’ll get one of those in, hopefully, in the next couple months); we were both running the half the next day. It was the easiest 5K I’ve ever run, since we paced intentionally slow and I had a running partner to chat with for the duration. Seriously, 3 miles went by so quickly! Plus, I really loved the course — very different from other 5Ks that I’ve completed in the city. Not to mention, it was a cool and beautifully-sunny morning in Pittsburgh.

My kind of running weather. ENTER DRAMATIC IRONY FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY.

Afterwards, I walked back over to the Expo (more on that in the half marathon recap!) AND to hang out with my bird friends and former coworkers at the Aviary (have I mentioned how much I love that it’s always on my way home?).

5K Results
Official time: 36:33
Pace: 11:45
Splits: 12:33, 11:50, 10:43

Never Have I Ever…

May 4, 2015 - Mel

I always lost this game. And by lost, I mean, got drunk first. It seemed in the days where a drinking game like “Never Have I Ever” was played, I was a little more carefree and took great pride in my stories. This too proper, classy portrayal of an aging lady who writes this now has a past where she played games like “Never Have I Ever”… and sometimes drunk twister. And yes, there was also strip poker on a couple of occasions (err, once in high school). I also created a kissing game in elementary school with the die from a Scattegories game (yes, I was very unsupervised as a minor). But that’s what I used to consider “winning.”

And I try SO HARD to remember who that person was. It doesn’t feel like me.

I wonder, as I’m ticking off another year on the 30-something calendar this week, if I’ve become SO uptight that I’m unable to have real fun. In effort to shed some perceptions of me as a Party Girl, I’ve gone so far to the other side that even I think I’m boring. Is this part of aging, in general, where we wistfully remember “the good old days” of our youth and have fond stories to embarrass your future children? And what if you don’t have children — who do you tell, the neighbors?

I had a pretty bad quarter-year crisis; I’m wondering if I should expect another one before I turn 40. A few months ago, I attended a local event hosted by a life coach, and all my self-analysis during her session led me to write in my notebook the words: HAVE MORE FUN.

My mid-year assessment says “no, I’m not having more fun.” For purposes of perfect metaphors, I’m running away from all of my problems. And if there’s anything that I fear more than getting older, it’s getting complacent.

This post is part of Blogger, May I? — and its 30 days of prompts.

Sunday Lately: Dwelling, Helping, Forgetting, Switching, Relying

May 3, 2015 - Mel

I do my own regular “thinking” recaps in my Weekly Therapy posts, so this Blogger, May I? post was a nice change of pace for today. Although, given I JUST RAN A HALF MARATHON (and finished a two-page paper for school soon after), my brain struggled through this a bit. But I like how the prompts can be reflective of different meanings, depending on the blogger.

Dwelling
It’s been six months since contractors wrecked my life in order to fix my house. They finally came back this week to touch up some “mistakes” and fix other issues — including changing the light in my entryway (which they ruined during the renovations).

The new light is beautiful!

Helping
I’ve been thinking a lot about how I’d like to give back, since volunteering was something that had to take a backseat with school and work full-time and my full training schedule. I’ve been inspired by Project R.U.N., Kids of Steel, and Girls on the Run programs, and I hope that I can soon find my place to help make an impact about healthy lifestyle choices with kids in my community.

Forgetting
I’ve been consumed so much by this race that I keep forgetting that my birthday is next weekend (it’s also finals week, blech).

Switching
Time to switch gears: IT’S BIRTHDAY WEEK!

Relying
Relying on my group members this week to get me through this last week of projects and presentations! Have I mentioned how much I’m looking forward to Spring Break next week?

Flying Friends & Five Favorites

May 2, 2015 - Mel

I’m participating in a month-long series of posts for Blogger, May I. Today’s prompt is: Five Favorites

I mentioned in a previous post about my fundraising efforts for the National Aviary during my half marathon training. Today’s post is about THE BIRDS that make the Aviary one of my favorites places in Pittsburgh, focusing on my five cute little (and sometimes big) guys that keep me coming back. I stopped in today after the 5K to pay my feathered friends a visit — and tell them all about the goodies coming their way as result of my donations. *wink, wink*

1. Bubba is a Palm Cockatoo located (most days) in the Tropical Rainforest exhibit. Many former visitors may remember him when he was in the atrium area. Unfortunately, he wasn’t visible today on my visit, but I got SO EXCITED when he returned my “Bubba, hi!” call from his holding area. He endured through many of my long shifts at the Aviary when I had no one else to talk to, so he’s my favorite-favorite.

2. Crested Wood Partridges, much like Bubba, brought me a lot of joy when I was working at the Aviary. I mean, how can you not smile at that cute little red Mohawk and their little round bodies?

3. Franklin, the Spectacled Owl, is not an exhibit bird, but you can get lucky and see him on occasion being walked through the halls during open hours. He’s probably my favorite bird to get a selfie with — and I lucked out seeing him today with a trainer, who let me take a selfie recap.

4. Aleutia, one of the Steller’s Sea Eagles, and I love to have staring contests. Or, I love to stare and admire her, while she conspires up ways that she can have me for dinner. Either way, she’s a magnificent bird to see up close — and the Aviary has two of these eagles!

5. The Aviary has private encounters that are an AMAZING way to get up-close-and-personal (or, “nose to beak”) to a bird. You can make reservations to meet a penguin, a bird of prey, or even go down to the beach and hang out with the flamingos. For my birthday last year, I treated myself to a bird of prey encounter and the trainer selected a Lanner Falcon for my half hour exerience. And, well, the picture speaks for itself how incredible the experience is and how the falcons moved up my list of favorites.

If you haven’t been, you really should make a visit — it’s a somewhat-small place, so you don’t need an entire day to see everything (a couple hours to walk through the open exhibit areas, and see a live bird show or feeding is highly recommended for the whole experience!). And THANK YOU to those who have already donated — and many thanks in advance to YOU if you make a donation before tomorrow.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a bonus picture of the Roadrunner (Aviary just recently added two of these guys into their Cloud Forest exhibit):